Any hopes of the Wayland girls’ varsity bowling team repeating as league champions were dashed Monday afternoon at Rock ‘N Bowl.
The likely new champion, Middleville Thornapple Kellogg, defeated the Lady Wildcats 20-10, for the second time this season.
The boys’ squad also came out on the short end, this one a 22-8 score.
The baker games once again proved to be the sore spot for both Wayland teams.
The Lady Wildcats lost by only seven pins in the second baker, but found themselves down 10-0 going into match play.
Leading the lady cats in individual match one was Bella Harnish with a fine game of 233. Kadence Bottrall was lighting up the pins as well, but her 224 was shy of a tie by just two pins.
In match two, the Wayland ladies tore it up by winning 9 of the remaining 11 points, but it was too little, too late. Senior Josie Melinn took her match point, as did Breanna Hyde (164), and Bella Harnish (238). Unfortunately again, Kadence rolled over a 200 game (204), but fell short.
TK’s anchor, Carly Snyder, averaged 226.5 for the afternoon, Kadence Bottrall averaged 214 and Bella Harnish averaged 235.5.
Coach Sherry Miklusicak said of her boys’ team, “Once our boys figure out how to win a baker game, they will have much better chances of winning some matches.” Baker game one was only lost by 16 pins, so that is just one more spare. Baker game two was lost by just three pins, not even a spare.
“These were very close games, yet we found ourselves down 10-0. That means we would have to win 16 of the next 20 possible points to win the match and that can be done, but is difficult,” Mikulusicak said.
Individual game one had one lonely point awarded to Wayland’s Chandler Caruso with a 163 game. It was the high game for Wayland in game one. So then the Wildcats were trailing 18-1.
Individual game two was good for redemption. Deven Gardner 160, Stephen Harnish 145, Alan Beggs 198 all took their match points and total pins as well. Chandler Caruso tried to take his point with a nice 198 game, as the Wayland boys took 7 out of 9 point.
“Looking at this group of boys as a team, their averages are increasing every match but one,” the coach said. “Early in the season we went up by 23 pins, then 2, then 4, then 1, then 2, then 4, then 2, then 4 again. One day at a time one ball at a time. Every roll is important!”
